Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspections

As explained in the Administrative Plan that governs CVR New York, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all units subsidized under the Housing Choice Voucher Program meet a minimum standard of health and safety rules called Housing Quality Standards (HQS). To ensure compliance with HUD's requirement, CVR New York inspects any unit a Voucher Holder wants to rent before they move in and as required thereafter.

An HQS inspection ensures that all subsidized units have adequate living space for the family, are structurally sound, provide the necessary habitability systems (electricity, plumbing, heating, appliances, etc.) and present no conditions that endanger health and safety. HUD's Form 52580-A (available via link below) further outlines the minimum unit standards necessary to participate in CVR New York's programs.

HQS addresses the following areas:

Sanitation (facilities and condition)
Food preparation and refuse disposal
Space and security
Thermal environment
Illumination and electricity
Structure and materials

Interior air quality
Water supply
Lead-based paint
Access
Smoke detectors/carbon monoxide detectors

There are several types of inspections conducted during the course of a unit's participation in the HCVP as outlined below:

New Move (Initial) Inspection
Annual Inspection
Re-Inspections
24 Hour Emergency Inspections
Quality Control Inspections

The current Housing Quality Standards inspection requirements will be transitioning on January 1, 2025 to the National Standard for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE). To learn more about the NSPIRE requirements for your rental property, please click HERE.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Effective December 29, 2024 all smoke detectors must be either hard-wired or sealed, as required under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023

Useful Links & Documents

Disputes of inspections results and/or abatements may be considered in the following circumstances if submitted in a timely manner:

The failed item does not meet the definition of a deficiency in accordance with HUD's Housing Quality Inspection Standards.
The failed item should be reclassified from an "owner" responsibility to "tenant" responsibility.
Abatement is not the appropriate course of action in accordance with HUD rules and regulations and the HCR Administrative Plan.

In the situation that a property owner has a dispute categorized as outlined above, the property owner must submit the Inspection Result Dispute Form. CVR is under no obligation to consider disputes not submitted in a timely manner, more than ten calendar days after the date of inspection/abatement. You may email the form to [email protected].